Fluorinated polyethers (e.g., perfluoropolyethers) have useful properties that include low refractive index, soil resistance, lubricity, and high water repellency. Accordingly, fluorinated polyethers have been incorporated into various protective coatings to provide one or more of low refractive index, cleanability, durability, and scratch resistance.
Many fluorinated polyethers that have been incorporated in coatings tend to diffuse to the surface of the coatings and may become depleted over time, for example, by repeated cleaning of the surface of the protective coating.
Fluorinated polyethers having reactive groups have been incorporated in coatings to address the problem of diffusion, however many such methods are laborious and/or are not versatile.
There remains a continuing need for materials and methods that allow incorporation of fluorinated polyethers into protective coatings, such that the fluorinated polyethers are not prone to depletion over time.